Removal Of Tc-99 From Low Level Radioactive Liquid Waste Using Di-Tert-Butyldibenzo-18-Crown-6 Impregnated Sorbent

Low level radioactive liquid waste (LLW) is generated at different stages of operation of reprocessing as well as radioactive waste management. The LLW generated here is alkaline with high salt content. It contains different radioisotopes namely(106)Ru, Sb-125, Tc-99, Cs-137, Sr-90 and traces of Pu. Presence of Tc-99 in LLW is of great environmental concern due to its long half-life (T-1/2: 2 x 10(5) years) and mobility. Hence it needs to be separated from LLW to maximum possible extent prior to discharge to environment. In this paper, study carried out for separation of Tc-99 using the crown ether, Di-tert-Butyldibenzo-18-Crown-6 (DtBuDB18C6). The performance of the composite material was evaluated with respect to Tc-99 uptake and the effect of various parameters like pH, salt concentration, time period and temperature on K-d value was studied.